Thread-cutting mechanism for looms



Oct. 29, 1929. A. A. GORDON 1,733,191

THREAD CUTTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Oct. 12, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTQF? ALBERT A GORDON Oct. 29, 1929. A. A. GORDON THREAD CUTTINGMECHANISM FOR LOOMS 3 SheetsSheet 3 Filed Oct. 1.2., 1926 A T'oFe NE 5Patented Oct. 29, 1929 camp STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT A. GORDON, OFvWORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS,033 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTSTHREAD-CUTTING MECHANISM FOR LOOIMS Application filed October 12, 1926.Serial No. 141,194.

This invention relates to thread cutting mechanism for a weftreplenishing loom of the pick-and-pick type, in which a plurallty ofshuttle boxes are provided at the magazine end of the loom.

WVhen a substantially exhausted weft carrier is replaced, it isnecessary to cut and remove the trailing weft end attached to theejected weft carrier. At the same time it is necessary to leave intactthe weft ends extending tothe inactive shuttles at the magazine end ofthe loom.

It is the general object of my present invention to provide a threadcuttingmecha nism of an improved type and so constructed that it willco-operate with and sever the thread extending to the ejected weftcarrler, but will not sever the threads extending to the inactiveshuttles.

Another object is to provide a thread cutter which will sever theejected weft end adjacent the open end of the shuttle box and that willhold the portion of weft extending to the salvage in position forengagement by a second thread cutter located ajacent the selvag'e.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appenced claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which Fig.1 is a plan viewof the magazine end of a loom embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the lay and rotary shuttle boxes, takenalong the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig; 3 is an enlarged left hand sectional elevation, taken substantiallyalong the line.

33 in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 4; is a left hand sectional elevation,

taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a plan'view of the thread cutter, adjacent the selvage,looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectionalrear elevation, taken along the line 6-6 inFig. 4

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of the movable thread cutter shownin Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional front elevation, taken along the line 88 in Fig.7.

Referring to the drawings, I have indicated parts of a pick-and-pickloom of the general type shown and described in my prior application,Serial No. 16,791, filed March 19, 1925. i

I have indicated a loom frame 10, a lay 11, and a plurality of rotaryshuttle boxes 12, mounted upon a support 13 and moved angularly throughthe selective co-operation of a gear 1 1 and rack bars 15. The partsthus far described are fully disclosed in my prior application and inthemselves form no separate part of my present invention, which relatesparticularly to the thread cutting mechanism which I will now describe.

For the purpose of disposing of the weft end left trailing from theejected weft carrier, I have provided two thread cuttingdevices, one ofwhich is located adjacent the selvage of the fabric, and the other ofwhich is movably mounted adjacent the open ends of the shuttle boxes.The thread cutter ad: jacent the selvage operates in a substantiallyfixed position, while the thread cutter adja-' cent the shuttle boxes ismovable rearward to operative position. V, f

I will first describe the movable thread cutter which severs the threadadjacent the shuttle boxes. This thread cutter comprises two cuttingjaws 20 and 21 Fig. 3), the jaw 20 projecting rearward from a supportingmember 22 mounted on a fixed .pivot 23. The movable jaw 21 is pivoted at24 on the member 22 and a spring 25 acts to open the jaws whenever themovable jaw is-released, as will be'hercinafter described.

The movable jaw is provided with an upwardly extending arm 26 having acam lug by which an indication of weft exhaustion is transmitted fromthe weft detecting mechanism to the magazine. Whenever a transfer isindicated, the shaft 86 moves in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 3,and the stud 34. acts against the cam surface 33 to depress the hook arm28 and release the movable thread cutter, which thereupon moves rearwardto operative position under the influence of a relatively strong spring38 (Fig. 3). The rearward position of the thread cutter is determined byan adjustable stop screw 39, engaging a lug 40 on the loom frame 10.

A spring plate 41 (Figs. 7 and 8) is secured to the side of the movablejaw 21 and acts to hold the jaws in assembled relation and also toyieldingly engage the fixed jaw 20 when the cutter is closed and thusretain the severed Weft end in position for engagement by the secondthread cutter, to be described.

Upon indication of transfer, the movable thread cutter is released asabove described, and moves to the position indicated in dotted lines inFig. 3, with the parts of the thread cutter disposed as indicated inFig. 7. As the lay 11 then moves forward, a stud A mounted on a bracket45 carried by the lay engages the upwardly extending arm 26 of thethread cutter and first closes the cuttingjaws and thereafter moves thethread cutter forward to position for re-engagement by the hook arm 28.The movable thread cutter is thus released for a single operation onlyupon indication of transfer.

'As the thread cutter moves forward, it raises the severed weft end W(Fig. 2) and holds it in a position substantially separated from theends W extending to the shuttles in the shuttle boxes. In this positionthe ejected weft end W may be engaged by a hookshaped knife (Fig. 4)formed on a slide 51 mounted in a guide-way or casing 52 on the rear endof a yieldingly mounted bar 53. A spring 5 4 holds the knife 50yieldingly in rearward position, and a depending-lug 55 extends downwardfrom the knife 50 into the path of the lay 11. The position of the knife50 in relation to the severed weft end W and to the other weft ends W isclearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 and is of great importance, as theproblem of severing the ejected weft end without at the same timesevering the other weft ends in a pick-and-pick loom has been the causeof a great deal of difficulty.

- The usual temple more closely adjacent the selvage will commonly beused in addition to r the two thread cutters shown in the drawapparent.

ings, but the temple is not illustrated in this application.

haustion and moves rearward to promptly box and the severed portion isheld by the,

movable thread cutter until the jaws are opened upon the next rearwardmovement thereof upon indication of further weft exhaustion. I

Having thus described my invention and.

the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the detailsherein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what Iclaim is:

1. In a weft replenishing pick-and-pick loom, a lay, a plurality ofshuttle boxes movably mounted at each end thereof, means to move theshuttle boxes at the replenishing end of the lay so that the activeshuttle box will always be elevated above the inactive shuttle boxes,and means to sever the trailing weft end of the ejected weft carrierimme diately after indication of weft exhaustion and at points adjacentthe shuttle box and also adjacent the selvage, while leavingthe wefts ofthe inactive shuttles intact. i

- 2. In a weft replenishing pick-and-pick loom, a lay, a plurality ofshuttle boxes mov ably mounted at each .end thereof, means to move theshuttle boxes at the replenishing end of the lay so that the activeshuttle box will always be elevated above the inactive shuttle boxes,and means to sever and hold the trailing weft end of the ejected weftcarrier immediately after indication of weft exhaustion and tothereafter move said severed end forward and continuously upward and toretain said weft end in raised position, while leaving the wefts oftheinactive shuttles intact. p I

3.,In a weft replenishing pick and-pick loom, a lay, a plurality ofshuttle boxes mov ably mounted at each end thereof, means to move theshuttle boxes at the replenishing end. of the la so that theactiveshuttle box will always e elevated above the inactive shuttleboxes, means to out the trailing weft end of the ejected weft carrierand to grip and elevate thesevered end,- and means to thereafter outsaid severed end a'second time at a point substantiallynearer theselvage while ,the first severed part of said Weft end is held elevatedandthe wefts of the inactive shuttles remain intact. I

4. In a weft replenishing pick-and-pick loom, lay, a plurality ofshuttle boxes movably mounted at each end thereof, means to move theshuttle boxes at the replenishing end of the lay so that the activeshuttle box will always be elevated above the inactive shuttle boxes,means to sever and hold the trailing weft end of the ejected weftcarrier immediately after indication of weft exhaustion, and tothereafter elevate the weft holding means by a forward and upwardmovement, and additional means effective to engage and sever the weftend, while thus held, at a point substantially nearer the selvage whileleaving the wefts of the inactive shuttles intact.

5. In a weft replenishing pick-and-pick loom, a lay, a plurality ofshuttle boxes movably mounted at each end thereof, means to move theshuttle boxes at the replenishing end of the lay so that the activeshuttle box will always be elevated above the inactive shuttle boxes,means to cut the trailing weft end of the ejected weft carrier and togrip and elevate the severed end, and to thereafter hold said severedend until a further indication of weft exhaustion, and a hook shapedcutter adjacent the selvage efiective to separate the trailing weft endfrom the weft threads extending to the shuttles in the shuttle boxes andto sever said trailing enda second time, while a part thereof is stillheld elevated and while the wefts of the inactive shuttles remainint-act.

6. In a weft replenishing pick-and-pick loom, a lay, a plurality ofshuttle boxes movably mounted at each end thereof, means to move theshuttle boxes at the replenishing end of the lay so that the activeshuttle box will always be elevated above the inactive shuttle boxes,means to cut the trailing weft end of the ejected weft carrier and togrip and elevate the severed end, and to thereafter hold said severedend until a further indication of weft exhaustion,,and a hook shapedcutter adjacent the selvage effective to separate the trailing weft endfrom the weft threads ex tending to the shuttles in the shuttle boxesand to sever said trailing end a second time while the wefts of theinactive shuttles remain intact, both of said cutters being actuated bythe lay on its forward movements and said first cutter being operatedonce only and being thereafter maintained in inoperative forwardposition until again released upon indication of transfer.

7 In a weft re lenishing pick-and-pick loom, a lay, a plura ity ofshuttle boxes movably mounted at each end thereof, means to move theshuttle boxes at the replenishing end of the lay so that the activeshuttle box will always be elevated above the inactive shuttle boxes, athread cutter operative adjacent the open ends of the shuttle boxes andmovable to and from operative position, means to hold said cutternormally in forward inoperative position, means to release said cutterupon indication of weft exhaustion, and means to thereafter actuate saidcutter and return said cutter to normal inoperative position by acontinuous upward movement as the lay moves forward, said cutter when ininoperative position being substantially elevated above itsweft-engaging operative position.

8. In a weft replenishing pick-and-pick loom, a lay having a pluralityof shiftin shuttle boxes movably mounted at each en thereof, meansadjacent the open end of the active shuttle box effective to cut andhold the trailing weft end of an ejected weft carrier in the activeshuttle box on the first forward movement of the lay after indication ofweft exhaustion, and means to separate the trailing weft end from theweft threads extending to the inactive shuttles and to thereafter seversaid separated weft end a second time and substantially nearer theselvage, while leaving the wefts of the inactive shuttles intact.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON.

